Denver executive vice president of football operations John Elway was intent on restoring the Broncos to the Super Bowl glory they enjoyed when he played, and his gamble to go all in for Peyton Manning has all gone according to plan.

It took awhile for Manning to get into a rhythm and the defense to find its groove, but four months later, Denver is atop Sporting News’ NFL power rankings and a clear favorite to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVII. If they get there, the Broncos’ opponent just might be one Elway knows well from the big game—Green Bay.

(Paul Nisely/SN Illustration)

(AP Photos)

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32. Kansas City Chiefs (last week: 32)

Great catch: WR Dexter McCluster

Dwayne Bowe won’t be back, Jonathan Baldwin has been a bust so far, and McCluster produced modest numbers (51 catches, 447 yards, one TD) from the slot this season. You can bet the Chiefs will be looking for playmaking receivers.

(Reed Hoffmann/AP)

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31. Jacksonville Jaguars (31)

Great catch: WR Cecil Shorts

Shorts quickly developed into a speedy No. 1 in Year 2, but unfortunately head injuries slowed him down late. There is some receiving promise in Jacksonville with him and rookie Justin Blackmon as the returning starters.

(Stephen Morton/AP)

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30. Oakland Raiders (30)

Great catch: TE Brandon Myers

As the Raiders haven’t gotten the ball to their wide receivers downfield as much as they would like, Myers has been a vital safety valve for Carson Palmer all season.

(Elaine Thompson/AP)

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29. Arizona Cardinals (29)

Great catch: WR Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald has only 69 catches for 785 yards and four touchdowns, full-season career lows that show just how much the Cardinals’ quarterbacks have struggled. Sunday’s 111-yard game was his second-best output of ’12.

(Paul Connors/AP)

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28. Buffalo Bills (28)

Great catch: WR Stevie Johnson

Johnson probably is better suited to be a No. 2 wideout, but the Bills’ receiving situation has pressed him into being their top guy. There’s a good chance, however, he’ll need to adjust to another quarterback next season.

(Gary Wiepert/AP)

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27. Tennessee Titans (27)

Great catch: WR Kenny Britt

The Titans have some promising receivers but haven’t figured out too much in the passing game with Jake Locker. They need to focus on the fact Locker and Britt can be a great combination.

(Jeff Roberson/AP)

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26. Detroit Lions (26)

Great catch: WR Calvin Johnson

What else can be said about Megatron? He’s the most dominant receiver in a pass-happy game and just topped the game’s best-ever wideout in yards for one season. Watch for him to flirt with 2,000 yards vs. Chicago.

(Duane Burleson/AP)

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25. New York Jets (23)

Great catch: WR Jeremy Kerley

Kerley has had his moments as a wide receiver, but his highlight was Sunday’s 42-yard pass out of the Wildcat. Unfortunately, there have been few bright spots from their actual quarterbacks.

(Bill Kostroun/AP)

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24. Cleveland Browns (22)

Great catch: WR Josh Gordon

The Browns hit a bull’s eye in the supplemental draft by grabbing Robert Griffin III’s former college teammate. Gordon looks every bit the part of becoming a strong No. 1 in a year or two.

(Scott R. Galvin/AP)

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23. Philadelphia Eagles (25)

Great catch: WR Jeremy Maclin

Among the positives to take from the Eagles’ struggles in 2012 is the potential for Maclin and rookie quarterback Nick Foles to be a very dynamic duo next season.

(Michael Perez/AP)

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22. San Diego Chargers (24)

Great catch: WR Danario Alexander

There hasn’t been much healthy help around Philip Rivers, so he should be very thankful they found Alexander, who has shaken off past knee injuries to deliver as a true go-to guy down the stretch.

(Bill Kostroun/AP)

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21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20)

Great catch: WR Mike Williams

Vincent Jackson’s impact can be seen most in how Williams has returned to the forefront as a big playmaker against single coverage. The Bucs have a great chance to have a pair of 1,000-yard receivers.

(Brian Blanco/AP)

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20. Carolina Panthers (21)

Great catch: WR Steve Smith

Smith and Cam Newton are finishing the 2012 season on a high note. The Panthers want more pop in their offense next season, and that will require more consistent No. 2 and No. 3 wideouts.

(Mike McCarn/AP)

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19. St. Louis Rams (19)

Great catch: WR Chris Givens

Danny Amendola may not return next season, but the Rams may have found their new No. 1 in the rookie from Wake Forest. Givens made a splash with big plays early, and it looks like he’ll develop into a solid wideout.

(Bill Wippert/AP)

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18. New Orleans Saints (18)

Great catch: WR Marques Colston

You could pretty much pick any Drew Brees target here. It’s just that Brees has a longer connection with Colston than any other Saints receiver, and that chemistry was on full display in Dallas.

(Brandon Wade/AP)

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17. Miami Dolphins (17)

Great catch: WR Brian Hartline

Look up at the receiving yardage leaders, and you’ll see the speedy Hartline has cracked the 1K club with 1,014 yards on only 69 catches. The Dolphins will look to pair him with a truer No. 1 in the offseason.

(Al Diaz/The Miami Herald)

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16. New York Giants (9)

Great catch: WR Victor Cruz

How can you tell the Giants are struggling and on the brink of missing the playoffs? You don’t see Cruz doing any salsa dancing. After a promising three months, Eli Manning and the passing game have gone cold.

(Nick Wass/AP)

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15. Pittsburgh Steelers (13)

Great catch: WR Antonio Brown

With Mike Wallace likely running a fade route out of Pittsburgh, Brown has proved he’s ready to take over the role as a No. 1 receiver—and not just as the reliable third-down and possession guy he’s been so far.

(Don Wright/AP)

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14. Dallas Cowboys (12)

Great catch: WR Dez Bryant

He has shown stunning big-play ability, as his hands have matched his speed, even when dealing with a broken finger. He’ll need to be huge against the Redskins’ secondary for Dallas to win the division in Week 17.

(Sharon Ellman/AL)

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13. Chicago Bears (14)

Great catch: WR Brandon Marshall

When Jay Cutler goes through his progressions, he pretty much looks to Marshall multiple times. Marshall’s 113 receptions and 11 touchdowns have made his first year as a Bear a smashing success.

(Rick Scuteri/AP)

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12. Indianapolis Colts (10)

Great catch: WR Reggie Wayne

In what has been arguably his best season, Wayne broke the century mark in receptions against the Chiefs. He also caught the game-winning touchdown pass and has been the go-to guy for Andrew Luck in every sense of the term.

(Charlie Riedel/AP)

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11. Minnesota Vikings (15)

Great catch: TE Kyle Rudolph

The Vikings do their best to feed Adrian Peterson and keep Christian Ponder from needing to throw much. When Ponder does excel, it’s usually when he’s looking for Rudolph near the goal line.

(Patric Schneider/AP)

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10. Washington Redskins (11)

Great catch: WR Pierre Garcon

Garcon’s ability to return from his foot injury has provided an extra spark for the passing game. His rapport with Robert Griffin III opens up easier opportunities for the rest of the Redskins’ receivers.

(Rick Osentoski/AP)

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9. Cincinnati Bengals (14)

Great catch: WR A.J. Green

Green is the AFC version of Calvin Johnson. Andy Dalton will throw the ball to him wherever, whenever, however, and Green tends to come down with the ball when the Bengals need game-changing plays—see Sunday.

(Gene J. Puskar/AP)

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8. Baltimore Ravens (8)

Great catch: WR Torrey Smith

Smith was able to play a week after a concussion, and his speed and quickness were big factors in attacking the Giants’ secondary. He’ll be a busy target as the Ravens look to advance in the playoffs.

(Gail Burton/AP)

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7. Houston Texans (4)

Great catch: WR Andre Johnson

The Texans are trying their best to get other receivers more involved, but it always seems to come back to relying on Johnson to move the ball. That needs to change for Matt Schaub to thrive in the playoffs.

(Patric Schneider/AP)

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6. Seattle Seahawks (7)

Great catch: WR Sidney Rice

The Seahawks don’t throw the ball often because of the success of their running game, but when they do, Rice and Golden Tate always seem up to come with key plays for Russell Wilson.

(John Froschauer/AP)

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5. New England Patriots (3)

Great catch: WR Wes Welker

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez have both been hurt at different times, and Brandon Lloyd wasn’t a big factor until recently. Then there’s Welker, who has another 110 receptions in a contract year.

(Stephen Morton/AP)

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4. San Francisco 49ers (1)

Great catch: WR Michael Crabtree

With Mario Manningham (torn ACL) and and Vernon Davis (concussion) both getting hurt in the ugly loss at Seattle, Colin Kaepernick will trust Michael Crabtree as his go-to guy a lot more. The hope is Crabtree will open up big-play chances for a more involved Randy Moss.

(Elaine Thompson/AP)

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3. Atlanta Falcons (6)

Great catch: WR Roddy White

While Julio Jones has continued to develop into an explosive playmaker, White has been Mr. Reliable, as usual. Battling through a knee injury, he scored twice at Detroit to make sure the Falcons got the top seed.

(Rick Osentoski/AP)

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2. Green Bay Packers (5)

Great catch: WR Randall Cobb

In a year when Aaron Rodgers has seen Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson miss big chunks of time with injuries, Cobb’s second-year breakout and James Jones’ huge season (league-leading 13 TD receptions) have kept the passing offense humming along.

(Mike Roemer/AP)

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1. Denver Broncos (2)

Great catch: WR Eric Decker

Manning loves throwing to Decker in the red zone and, more specifically, the end zone. Decker’s 11 receiving touchdowns have him tied for third in the NFL.